The Overprotective Father and the Five-Year-Old Fiancée

"Anyway, thank you so much. Not just for protecting our guild, but also as Eriel's father."

Yunjae was absolutely not someone who could be moved by money. His strange lack of interest in wealth or rewards was likely due to the massive mountain of gold coins filling his inventory. Or perhaps it was because he already possessed the perfect conditions to make a living doing absolutely anything. Even working a part-time job brought him an income comparable to a major corporation's salary, and the moment he started a private business, it would easily grow into a multi-million-dollar enterprise. He didn't even need to sleep or eat, and he never grew tired. Realizing that he had to appeal to Yunjae's emotional side instead, Taejun bowed his head in sincere gratitude. Yunjae wore an awkward expression.

"Ah, no, it's nothing. Um, Guild Leader..."

Was he uncomfortable with the gratitude? As Yunjae hesitated, Taejun nodded, encouraging him to speak freely.

"Please, go ahead."

"She asked me to call her Taerin now. So, calling her Taerin is..."

Ever since she declared she would marry Yunjae, Eriel had chosen to go by her Korean name instead of her English one. Though Yunjae found it awkward, he wanted to respect her wishes. Hearing this, Taejun burst into laughter.

"Haha, I see. Taerin must really like you, Yunjae. To go as far as changing her name."

"Ah! But saying she's going to marry me is a bit too much! Please tell her that I'm not a lolicon like Demian, and the age gap is way too big for us to ever get married!"

Taejun flinched. "Demian? A lolicon?"

"Ah! No! That's not it!"

It seemed he had been agonizing over this the entire time, completely unbothered by all the media attention.

Pfft. Taejun was already well aware of the situation. Taerin had clung to Yunjae the entire time before he returned to the Blast Guild headquarters, and she had even whined about not wanting to be apart from him for the brief moment they were talking now. The sudden mention of Demian was a bit random, but Taejun didn't particularly care. Why should he concern himself with another man's private preferences?

"Anyway, I'll make sure to talk to her about that."

"And, um, she's only five years old, but she seems to wander around all by herself..."

While the marriage proposal could be dismissed as a child's tantrum, the fact that a five-year-old was left unsupervised clearly weighed heavily on Yunjae's mind. At his words, Taejun let out a deep sigh, fully agreeing with the sentiment.

"We do hire nannies. But it's difficult... because of her ability."

"Pardon?" Yunjae tilted his head at the unexpected response.

"Both Taerin and I possess mental-type abilities. Though they wouldn't work on you, ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Yunjae..."

"Ah, yes. I have absolute immunity to all status ailments..."

If so, Taejun's abilities would indeed be completely useless against him. In front of Yunjae, Taejun was no different from an ordinary human. Realizing this anew, Taejun gave a bitter smile. "Taerin was born with that same ability."

"Ah..."

"In fact, her innate power seems even stronger than mine."

Hearing this, Yunjae recalled that it was Taerin who had sent Demian back to the past, and he nodded. If even Taejun said so, she would indeed grow into an incredibly powerful esper in ten years, perhaps even capable of temporal regression.

"So, I trained her early on to control it, but..."

"Ah! Don't tell me she brainwashed her nannies?!"

"Exactly."

Now it made sense why a five-year-old toddler was wandering around the park near the office complex all by herself. It would have been useless to try and stop her. Given Taerin's headstrong personality, she had likely just manipulated her nanny and slipped out alone.

"Hmm..."

Could Demian have fallen victim to that ability too?

As Yunjae fell into deep, serious thought, Taejun tilted his head. "Is there a problem?"

"Ah, no! It's nothing! I was just thinking that maybe Demian isn't a lolicon after all!"

"But why do you keep calling Demian a lolicon...?" Taejun asked, thoroughly puzzled.

"Ahhh!"

Taejun still had no idea that Demian and Taerin would become lovers in the future. Continuing this conversation would only make Demian look like a complete creep!

"N-No, that's not it... Ah! Anyway, I think Taerin watches too many makjang K-dramas!" Yunjae blurted out in a panic.

Taejun could tell he was hiding something, but since he had no connection to Demian and zero interest in him, he let it slide.

"Ah, that is indeed an issue. I don't know why, but she's absolutely obsessed with them. I'm starting to wonder if my parenting went wrong somewhere. When I taught her that love doesn't exist, I didn't mean it in that sense."

As Taejun lamented that his daughter's education might be the most urgent matter at hand, Yunjae looked at him with a complicated expression. Honestly, it was hard for a father who taught his child that love didn't exist to provide proper moral guidance. Besides, Taejun was an incredibly busy man. He had absolutely no time to spend with her, and ordinary nannies couldn't withstand Taerin's mental powers. She probably did whatever she wanted, treating the nannies as mere cleanup crew.

"But if she grows up like this, Taerin might turn into a femme fatale!"

A girl who manipulated others at her whim! Imagining such a future, the theory of Eriel the femme fatale began to eclipse the theory of Demian the lolicon in Yunjae's mind.

"I don't think that's a big problem. If she's a femme fatale, at least she won't get taken advantage of by men."

At the father's surprisingly nonchalant response, Yunjae panicked.

"Ah! That's not what I mean...!"

She was going to meet a daughter-thief in just ten years! Or rather, maybe she would be the one stealing an older man!

"Early education is crucial for children! If she doesn't stop watching those dramas, she might end up in danger! Being a femme fatale doesn't guarantee happiness!" Yunjae babbled in a flurry, insisting they had to cut off her drama access and teach her self-control right now.

"Still, this is quite fascinating. I never imagined I'd be discussing E—no, Taerin ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠with anyone." Taejun chuckled, still not taking it too seriously.

"I-Is that so?"

With the topic seamlessly shifted, Yunjae hesitated, unable to press the matter further.

"Anyway, regarding that, would it be alright if I made a personal request?"

For a brief moment, Taejun's face grew serious—not as the cold, calculating guild leader, but as a father.

"A personal request?"

"Could you take care of Taerin for me?"

"Ah!"

As expected, he wanted him to be a nanny!

"I know you have plenty of free time, Yunjae."

"Well, that's true..."

Yunjae nodded. Even when he had taken over all the tasks of the Support Part, he had been incredibly relaxed. Since he had nothing to do now, there was nothing strange about him looking after her.

"This wasn't the job I originally intended to give you, but after what happened today, I can't help but feel anxious."

"So it wasn't originally a nanny job!"

Yunjae, who genuinely loved working, looked excited. Smiling at his enthusiasm, Taejun spoke.

"Originally, I was going to ask you to take on a managerial role."

"A managerial role?"

"Yes. I wanted you and Mari Rose to manage our guild members. We have a lot of people, and some of them can be rather rowdy."

In truth, Taejun's hidden motive was to help Yunjae build closer relationships with the guild members. Because of the rough nature of their work, many espers and guild members had rather eccentric or volatile personalities. Taejun had honestly worried that they might look down on the seemingly gentle and weak Yunjae and Mari and cause trouble. But after today's random portal incident, absolutely no one would dare defy Yunjae's authority! If anything, they would be desperate to get on his good side, hoping to partner up with him for a stable, lucrative career.

"A managerial role..."

Regardless of the motives, managing people sounded much more appealing to Yunjae than boring office paperwork.

"Wouldn't that be better than being an office assistant?"

"That's true! And being a nanny is a form of management anyway!"

"I apologize. If you don't want to babysit, we can forget about it..."

Sensing a hint of reluctance, Taejun quickly apologized.

"Ah, no, not at all!"

Although Yunjae was known to hold grudges, he had no reason to be passive-aggressive when the other party apologized so quickly.

"I can do a great job as a nanny, so please don't worry!"

Seeing Yunjae accept everything so positively without taking offense, Taejun felt a strange sense of relief. Yunjae was a type of person he could never truly comprehend, yet there was something uniquely refreshing about him.

Perhaps it's because he is so overwhelmingly powerful.

It wouldn't be strange to call him a god at this point. Maybe that was why he didn't obsess over money or material possessions like ordinary people.

"But I have one condition."

When Yunjae suddenly attached a condition for the first time, Taejun flinched and looked at him. "An incen—"

"Please resolve the marriage issue!"

It seemed he was still hung up on that.

"...I will do that."

Amused once again by Yunjae's complete lack of interest in financial compensation, Taejun covered his mouth and nodded. Anyone who knew the cold guild leader would have been utterly shocked to witness this scene.

"However, if Taerin still wants to marry you when she grows up, I see no reason to stop her."

Yunjae gasped in shock.

"Ah! How old are you thinking?!"

"Since there's about a fifteen-year age gap between you two, wouldn't ten years from now be fine? Fifteen and thirty. I think those are good numbers."

Taejun seemed to think Yunjae was around twenty. But even so, giving the okay for Taerin at age fifteen?!

The Guild Leader is surprisingly open-minded!

Maybe Demian had actually gotten permission to date her in the future! Shocked by this twist, Yunjae nodded hesitantly.

"W-Well, as long as she doesn't grow up to look completely different, I suppose I can keep an open mind..."

Pfft!

So he would marry her as long as she grew up pretty! Finding his transparent thoughts rather endearing, Taejun burst into laughter once more.

"Ah! I'm sorry! I was being so thoughtless for a mere office assistant!"

"Not at all. In the end, what matters most is her own will. Ten years from now, she'll be able to think for herself and make the right decision."

Even if that decision turned out to be the daughter-thief, Demian.

"Just to be clear, I am absolutely not a lolicon! If things actually turn out that way, it'll only be because Taerin is too much of a femme fatale...!"

Worried that he might accidentally become a daughter-thief himself, Yunjae wore an anxious expression.

"I highly doubt her feelings will remain unchanged until then. You don't need to worry too much. She's incredibly stubborn, but still..."

Would she really chase him for ten years, begging him to marry her?

As Taejun shrugged, Yunjae let out an awkward chuckle.

"Anyway, may I excuse myself now?"

"Yes, go ahead. I'll have Part Leader Woo Yeonhui send over the details of your management duties tomorrow. As for Taerin..."

To think she had slipped out all the way to the park just to see Yunjae. Though Taejun taught her that love didn't exist and that money was everything, perhaps a bare minimum of affection was still necessary. Feeling a sudden surge of fatherly love, Taejun spoke.

"I'll bring her to work with me. It would be great if you could pick her up from my office in the morning."

"Ah, understood!"

A new job starting tomorrow! Excited by the prospect, Yunjae bowed politely and left the office. Left alone, Taejun's expression turned thoughtful.

"Marriage, huh..."

Clasping his hands together, he fell into deep thought for a moment before chuckling.

"Once she's old enough, I should just arrange an engagement."

"Are those people going to be okay?"

Mari asked, looking slightly worried as she watched the dazed reporters lingering around their house.

"They'll be fine! They're just temporarily confused because of my Confuse spell!"

The media's interest following the random portal incident was explosive. Although the Blast Guild had dismissed inquiries with a firm "no comment," Yunjae was already a minor celebrity on social media. It was only natural, given that he was a game character walking around with the username "Slender Forearms" floating above his head. He had already gained fame online as a peculiar, beautiful boy, and then this incident had occurred. It was inevitable that his and Mari's residence would be leaked.

"Though it might take them a while to snap out of it."

Of course, even this was absolutely no trouble for a max-level player like him.

"But what if those reporters start churning out malicious articles? The media is relentless everywhere. They might try to tear you apart."

While Mari was glad that Yunjae's true worth was finally being recognized, she didn't want someone as kind and gentle as him to be battered by the harsh realities of the world. Malicious articles could be written at any moment, and the truth was easily distorted in the face of sensationalism. They might obsess over his every move and publish trashy, clickbait stories.

"It's fine! It's just a temporary flash of interest anyway. They'll forget about it soon."

"Still..."

"And we can't live our lives constantly worrying about what others think. People who want to hate you will hate you no matter what you do. They hate you just because, so there's nothing you can do to change their ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠minds."

Despite his timid nature, Yunjae possessed remarkably firm convictions. Seeing him accept the public's attention so calmly, just as he had with Taejun, Mari let out a soft chuckle, pleasantly surprised.

"For the ultimate icon of introverted shyness, you're surprisingly bold."

"Ah! But I really don't have much time left to waste worrying about such things!"

Hearing his consistent claim of being in his seventies, Mari giggled.

"Why don't you have time, you dummy?"

"Because I'm...!"

"Don't you dare say you're about to enter your eighties, or that you'll be ninety soon so you don't have much longer to live. As far as I can see, you've got a long, long way to go!"

I've already figured out your pattern!

As Mari cut him off while grabbing a can of beer from the refrigerator, Yunjae ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠looked utterly flustered.

"Ah! Mari! You've figured out my pattern?!"

"I figured it out weeks ago, actually."

At her words, Yunjae let out a soft chuckle.

"Anyway, I don't want to pay attention to what people think. It's a waste to let that stop me from doing what I want. It's much better to just do what makes me happy, as long as I'm not hurting anyone else."

"Yeah, that's a good attitude."

Mari tossed him a beer, and Yunjae caught it deftly.

"I'm more worried about starting my management duties and babysitting Taerin tomorrow. What if there are a lot of weird people?"

Mari sighed, sharing his sentiment.

"You don't have to worry at all. I'm the one who should be worried..."

Thanks to the incident with Gyojin, rumors about Yunjae had already spread among the espers. And after today's event, he would undoubtedly be recognized as the strongest esper in the world, at least within the Blast Guild. Even Gyojin, who had been thoroughly humiliated by Yunjae before, would probably try his best to get on his good side now.

"Sigh..."

The real problem was herself, who had been assigned to the management role alongside him. She had no special abilities and was merely a former C-class hunter. Moreover, she had only been hired because of Yunjae. Taejun's decision to put her in a managerial position was likely a move to keep them close, which meant she would probably be treated as a complete outsider by the others. There might be people who openly looked down on her like Gyojin, and even if they didn't, she couldn't completely ignore the whispers. To be honest, the thought of hearing such remarks, whether to her face or behind her back, filled her with dread.